Vehicle-brake.



No. 768,780. PATENTED AUG. so, 1904] W. SWISHER.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13,1903.

110 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET l- I O r 7 /9 No. 768,780. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

W. SWISHER.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13,1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented August 30, 1904.

arewr IVILLIAM SIVISHER, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,780, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed November 13, 1903. Serial No. 181,082. (No model.)

To'aZl whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SwIsHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to vehicle-brakes applicable generally to heavy wagons, one object being to provide a construction and arrangement whereby the brake may be applied automatically upon the descent of an incline or bill and released when the bottom is reached. the arrangement being such that the brakes will be automatically applied on a level roadbed in the event the horses hold back for any purpose.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a si mple. inexpensive, durable, and eflicient brake of the above-named variety, the different parts being easily and quickly assembled.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists also in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a running-gear, showing the brake-beam and its shoes applied to the rear wheels. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the sliding plate and its collar. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the rear end portion of the tongue and a portion of the reach-bar and adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l, showinga second embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, there is shown a running-gear comprising a front axle 5, having wheels 6, a rear axle 7, having wheels 8 and 9, and areach-bar 10, which is engaged'with the rear hounds 11 and the rear axle in the usual manner and which at its forward end is provided with a vertical perforation 12, through which is passed a kingbolt 13, that connects the reach-bar with the front axle. The reach-bar is pivotally movable on this king-bolt. Connected to the front axle are the front hounds 14:, having bearings 15, in which are received the ends of a rockshaft 16, the central portion of which is displaced forwardly to form a crank portion 17,

and with this crank portion is connected the tongue 18, as also the ends of the U-shaped brace 19, which is connected with the tongue. Connecting the rear ends of the U-shaped .brace and the tongue is a tie-rod 20. Disposed upon the forward end of the reach-bar 10 is a plate 21, having a collar 22 at its rear end which en circles the reach-bar and has laterallydirected cars 23, with which are connected rods 2 1, that diverge rearwardly and are attached to a brake-beam 25, provided with shoes 26 in position for engagement with the wheels 8 when said beam is moved rearwardly. In the plate 21 is a longitudinal slot 27, through which the king-bolt 13 is passed and with respect to which bolt said plate is longitudinally movable. A latch 28 is pivoted to the rear end of the tongue 18 and is movable into and out of engagement with a perforation 29 in the forward end of the plate 21, said latch having a handle 30, which may be grasped to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the'latch.

With the construction described it will be understood that the tongue 18 is movable longitudinally with respect to the front axle 5 and that when the draft-animals back they move the tongue rearwardly, so that the plate .21 is slid rearwardly by the latch 28, and the brake-beam 25 is correspondingly moved, so that the shoes 26 are pressed against the wheels 8 and 9. When the draft-animals move forwardly, the tongue pulls the latch 28, which moves the plate 21 forwardly, carrying the brake-beam, with its shoes, out of engagement with the wheels 8 and 9. This longitudinal movement or lost motion of the tongue with respect to the running-gear" is permitted by reason of the rock-shaft having thecrank 17,

with which the tongue is connected, said shaft being rocked forwardly and then rearwardly, as will be understood. \V hen it is desired to back without setting the brakes, the latch 28 or link is disengaged from the perforation 29.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings the plate 21, corresponding to the plate 21 in Fig. 1, is connected to the crank 17 by means of the forwardly-diverging links 28, which are permanently connected with the plate 21, so that as the crank is swung the plate 21 is reciprocated. The other portions of the mechanism are the same as above described with the exception of the brake'beam, which comprises a body portion, including spaced members 85 and 36, which are con nected by the cross-plates 37, and between these members are slidably mounted the end members 38 and 39, which carry the brakeblocks 40 and 41, respectively. A rocker 42 is pivoted upon the member and is connected at its ends to the members 38 and 39, respectively, by the rods 43 and 44. A handlever t5 is pivoted to the member 35 and is connected to the rocker 42 by means of the rods 46 and 47, so that as the hand-lever 45 is rocked the members 38 and 39 are reciprocated to carry the brake-blocks and 4:1 into and out of position for engagement with the wheels 8 and 9 when the brake mechanism is operated. hen the vehicle is to be backed, the lever is shifted to carry the brakeblocks out of position for engagement with the wheel.

What is claimed is- 1. In an automatic brake for vehicles, the

combination with arunning-gear including a reach-bar, front and rear hounds, axles and wheels, of a shaft journaled upon the front hounds the central portion of said shaft being bent to form a crank, a tongue pivotally connected with said crank and movable longitudinally of the hounds to rock the shaft, a plate disposed upon the reach-bar and havinga collar slidably engaged with the latter, connections between said plate and tongue for movement of the plate with the tongue, a brakebeam and connections between the beam and the sliding plate for movement of the brakebeam with the tongue.

2. In an automatic brake for vehicles, the combination with a running-gear including a reach-bar, front and rear hounds, axles and wheels, of a rocking shaft mounted upon the front hounds and having a crank, a tongue connected with said crank and movable therewith longitudinally upon the bounds, a brakebeam comprising a body portion, longitudinally-slidable end portions connected with the body portion and provided with brake-blocks, means for shifting the end members into and out of position for contact with adjacent wheels, and connections between the brakebeam and the tongue, said beam being movable with the tongue to carry the brake-blocks into and out of engagement with the wheels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM SVVISHER.

WVitnesses:

ENOCH VANSIOKLE, V. P. HoLADAY. 

